Agroecological characterization of traditional açaí (Euterpe spp.) production systems in Carauari, in the middle Juruá river, state of Amazonas

Abstract

In Carauari, the extractive collection and cultivation of açaí (Euterpe spp.) Results from the complex management of agroecosystems that differ in their social and organizational aspects. To describe the patterns of agroecological organization of these different agroecosystems that produce açaí, dendrometric and soil surveys were carried out to characterize the structures of the populations of Euterpe spp., Their distributions and interactions in the local environmental and social systems. The surveys were conducted in three collective territories: Riozinho Settlement Project, Medium Juruá Extractive Reserve and Uacari Sustainable Development Reserve. Açaizais occur in dryland environments or in areas close to water bodies, in the form of native extractive forest of E. precatoria or cultivated systems. The latter can be monocultures, consortia between the species E. oleraceae and E. precatoria, or agroforestry systems with other species of fruit and timber, associated or not with animal husbandry. These agroecosystems generate important economic and cultural meanings, in addition to structuring local landscapes